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Well, 2011 is winding down and on December 21st the date of the winter solstice, after mulling through the shortest day of the year, we earthlings will be heading out of darkness, trudging toward the light which will dawn in its full radiance on June 21st, the year’s longest day and the beginning of summer.

I don’t know what significance this has for all the other inhabitants of planet earth but - for me - the waning days of November are the first stages of a descent into the doldrums of cold weather, and the hibernation of cabin fever. Sorry. Wish I could project a rosier outlook but the state of the world plays a major influence in my not being energized. Every day, everywhere, the news is discouraging. The economy, the government, the amorality, the violence, the superficiality, not exactly a breeding ground for cheerful enthusiasm. More like an atmosphere that lends itself to simply endeavoring to endure. Of course, my age cannot be discounted when it come to the gloom and doom that stunts my inspiration. I’ve seen so many better days but now I’m old and worn, ready to bequeathe hope to the younger generation.

So it is that posting on this site has become a casualty of the pall that stalls my motivation. Thanks to the media, everything that can be said about the state of the country is being reported daily, be it liberal or conservative, radical or moderate, sensible or crazy, rumor or real. it‘s all out there on the menu along with a buffet of finger food in the form of iphones and ipads, blackberrys and kindles, topped off with the whipped cream of the social network. What can I say?

In the realm of internet commuication it’s a challenge to compete when it comes to being original and interesting. So much so that it’s tempting to revert to trivia. And in a vapid world, trivia ain’t a bad alternative.

Our tidbit for today:Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.

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Personal ads for dating? Not really my thing, I'm surprised people who enters in a relationship through this way are in 35%. I wonder, don' you think the media has also become sensational rather than just reporting things as it is? More and more news are coming out really depressing but I can't help thinking whether the people involved in such news even feels the same way. Just a thought.

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Cynique I read this on my phone. (yes there is a mobile ap for this discussion board). I was gonna comment right away btut I wanted to think about if for a second.

Actually I think G90 make a good point. This is something that has been bugging me lately. Most "news" is crap and it has to adversely impact the way we view the world. Today the so called Black sites (run by majority owned corps) feed us nonsense.

The troubling part is that positive and needed content is being generated -- folks just don;t see it. This again is the reason I created Huria Search http://huria.org I think at least in a small way it can help folks find the content of substance that we generate.

This country need help -- a lot of help, but it is not nearly as bad as you would be led to believe with the top search results, headline news, or lead stories.

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Troy, I have not dropped by in a minute so your "huria.org" is new to me. I think I'll check it out. And I agree, most news is crappy bad news. I don't do news shows.

In reference to "black sites" (run by majority owned corps), again I agree, it's/they are generally pushing a self-serving agenda while they "sell" us someone else's advertizing. They kind of remind me of most magazines, in that, they are stuffed with tid-bits of nonsence and a whole lot of ads. Thought provoking conversations on relavent subjects are becoming a lost art.

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Carey a sight for sore eyes. The Huria site is very new -- less than two weeks old, but off to a great start -- it has a LOT of potential of a seemingly simple idea. I've discovered a great number of interesting sites usinlg it myself. Post your favorite Black sites here (including your blog and I'll add them to the search engine's index).

If really is a shame regarding the conversations every group on facebook that I've joined or been added to people just post stuff to promote themselves or or something, but rarely interact -- even if you engage them. And the quickest way to piss someone off is to disagree with them. People who share a lot online can be surprisingly thin skinned and sensitive.

I guess we are off topic... maybe not.

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NEWS covers everything noteworthy that is happening around the globe. News is not concerned with the ordinary, it's about the extraordinary. You know what they say: if dog bites man that's old, but if man bites dog that's news. Pop cultures is just one aspect of the news, and it is, indeed, frivlous and sensationalized. But there is also serious reporting about serious matters out there for public consumption. If the news is crappy, it's because what's happening in the world is crappy. It's kinda like art imitating life.

Visa-vis my post, - more and more I am encountering people who back off arguing about current events because they don't want to hear opposing views. When people choose to stay in their comfort zone and eschew controversay, then traffic to discussion forums comes to a crawl. And when I, myself, have become so case-hardened about the impossible state of the country that I've given up, then my days of being the resident contrarian around these parts are on the wane. And so it goes. <_<

My trivia tid-bit for the day: On average, 100 people choke to death on ball point pens every year, so be careful. :wacko:

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Cynique, there is serious reporting going on, but there is, seemingly, much less of it. I don't have hard figures on this, but that has been my observation over the last 10 years. We do know that newspapers, magazines are closing and cutting back.

There is also, apparently, much more coverage of the "frivolous and sensationalized". Again I don't have hard numbers but my observations show this to be true -- even more so as the news relates to Black folks. It really is a crying shame how much this has changed on the last decade alone.

The crappy news is MUCH easier to find and consume. The serious journalism is more difficult to find and take work to consume. As a result, most people just believe what they are told. They are unwilling or unable to question anything.

I guess it is just human nature.

btw: Where are you getting your trivia from? It sounds interesting, but I'm not convinced the figure are true.

The one about 30% of people are dating sites already being married is fascinating idea to ponder. The reputable sites ask the question and rule you out if you are married or even separated. How then would someone collect the data and arrive at such a scandalous conconclusion?

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Well, Troy, the hard news that I have in mind is the network reporting anchored by serious journalists every evening on TV, not to mention the Sunday morning ones like "Meet the Press" and "Face The Nation" and "The McNaughton Report on PBS.The serious news is there; you just have to look for it.

Again, news is news, even if it is about Demi and Ashton's break-up or JR winning "Dancing with the Stars". These are real live events about high profile people who stir the curiosity of millions.

Is trivia ever to be taken seriously? I just key trivia into GOOGLE and go from there, picking out whatever seems the most outrageous. ^_^

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Cynique I draw a distinction, perhaps an arbitrary one, between "Demi and Ashton's break-up or JR winning "Dancing with the Stars"." and information that is actually important. The former is simply entertainment -- which is what MOST news is today, entertainment.

I think the problem we have when people confuse the two is some folks begin to think whatever a Kim Karadasian is doing is important we and the media treat it as if it is important. Far too many resources go to covering that nonsense, when it could be directed to meaningful things.

While trivia may or may not be taken seriously, trivia needs to be truthful -- otherwise is is simply a lie.

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But, Troy, news does not have to be important. It literally is what is happening in the world that is new. There are a lot of different categories of news out there and people focus on what interests them. You cannot dictate people's taste. And when reality becomes depressing, then people look for diversion.

Trivia is often defined as "little known "facts". So. presumably, it is true; it's just obscure.

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Hear hear! News is just news and doesn't have to be really interesting, I agree. I look your idea Cynique on what people do when reality becomes depressing, that sounds like an eye opener to me. A reality people wouldn't seem to talk about or notice. Any new tidbit by the way?

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Cynique, I'm not not trying to dictate people's tastes. Of course there are different types of news, as there are different types of books. You been around AALBC.com long enough to know that I sell and promote all types of books from the erotica of Zane to the poetry of NIkky Fiiney, from the Urban fiction of Kwan to the literary fiction of Jean Toomer. There is room for all of it and I make no value judgements on the people who consumer it or the writers who write it.

I feel the same why about news.

The problem I see is that the meaningful news is harder to find. The problem is much worse for Black folks which is really the motivation for my comments -- indeed my reason for running AALBC.com. There has to be balance, and this balance is disappearing.

Trivia

I enjoy trivia I just question the "fact" that 30% of the dating site users are already married. That percentage just seems very high. Plus it would seem to me that the data would be hard to compile since married people on dating sites would likely be trying to hide that information

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If you think about it, the most common complaint against on-line dating is the deception that goes on there. You always hear about people who have been misled by someone they have met at one of these sites who has lied about their age, their weight, their profession and - their marital status! There is also an ongoing debate as to whether a married person who strikes up an acquaintance on line with someone of the opposite sex is actually cheating. These meeting places are a haven for married folks who want to fantansize about leading a more exciting life.

As long as they can remain anonymous, people participating in surveys will admit the illicit things they do.

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Liar's suddenly becoming honest under the cloak of anonymity. I'm still not convinced it is a trust worthy sample set.

But I guess you might have a point regarding the rampant dishonestly that transpires online.

I knew this one Brother who arranged for a date with what he believed would be a Black woman. The woman turned out to be an older Chinese woman. The woman said it was a good way to get dates my friend carried on with the date -- true story.

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This week's bad news: The congressional super committee formed to reduce the nation's trillion dollar debt was unable to reach an agreement due to partisan gridlock. :angry:

This week's good news: The players and owners have come to terms and the NBA season will open on Christmas day! :D

Trivia tidbit for today: Cat urine >>glows<< under a black light. :o

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  • 2 weeks later...

MAN! Chicagoland woke up to a painful, mind-blowin hangover after that Bear/Bronco game! Surreal! If the Bears don't make the play-offs, Marion Barber will really be persona non grata in these parts. :ph34r: Local Sports-radio is blowing up with the Monday morning quarterbacking and a pall of depression has engulfed the city and suburbs . Next week we'll either be holding a wake for our hopes, or depending on the life support of a victory to revive our chances. :(

Meanwhile, over at the United Center, the Bulls are snorting and stomping, ready to charge out of the pen. Hopefully they won't butt their fans and gore the prospects for a winning season.

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